Pigs were deemed unclean because they do not chew the cud despite having split hooves.
In the Book of Leviticus, Moses, who lived and led the Israelites around 1445 to 1405 BC, delivers numerous instructions from God concerning sacrifices, worship practices, and matters of holiness. In the midst of these, we find God giving specific guidance about which animals are permissible to eat. When God addresses certain animals deemed unclean, He includes: “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you” (v.7). In ancient Israel, such dietary guidelines served not merely as health regulations but as tangible expressions of obedience and covenant identity. Abstaining from unclean animals was a way for the Israelites to maintain ceremonial purity, symbolically showing their separation from surrounding nations.
The pig is singled out in “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you” (v.7) because its hooves are split—one condition for a “clean” land animal—yet it does not chew the cud. The requirement for an animal to both have a split hoof and chew the cud set it apart as suitable for consumption under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:3). For Israel, following dietary laws was both a spiritual act of faith and a practical discipline that reminded them daily to honor God’s definitions of clean and unclean. In these regulations, God reveals that holiness encompassed every aspect of life, pointing forward to a greater inner holiness championed by Christ (Mark 7:19).
Although the command of “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you” (v.7) applied to ancient Israel in a specific historical context, it foreshadowed deeper truths about spiritual purity. In the New Testament, God would later broaden our understanding of clean versus unclean through visions given to the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:9-16), and Jesus Himself taught that real defilement comes from one’s heart rather than one’s food choices (Mark 7:20-23). These commands in Leviticus, given roughly 3,500 years ago near the Sinai region, remind the faithful today that while external symbols and rituals have their place, walking in devotion to God from the heart is what fulfills the deeper call to holiness.
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Leviticus 11:7 meaning
In the Book of Leviticus, Moses, who lived and led the Israelites around 1445 to 1405 BC, delivers numerous instructions from God concerning sacrifices, worship practices, and matters of holiness. In the midst of these, we find God giving specific guidance about which animals are permissible to eat. When God addresses certain animals deemed unclean, He includes: “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you” (v.7). In ancient Israel, such dietary guidelines served not merely as health regulations but as tangible expressions of obedience and covenant identity. Abstaining from unclean animals was a way for the Israelites to maintain ceremonial purity, symbolically showing their separation from surrounding nations.
The pig is singled out in “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you” (v.7) because its hooves are split—one condition for a “clean” land animal—yet it does not chew the cud. The requirement for an animal to both have a split hoof and chew the cud set it apart as suitable for consumption under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:3). For Israel, following dietary laws was both a spiritual act of faith and a practical discipline that reminded them daily to honor God’s definitions of clean and unclean. In these regulations, God reveals that holiness encompassed every aspect of life, pointing forward to a greater inner holiness championed by Christ (Mark 7:19).
Although the command of “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you” (v.7) applied to ancient Israel in a specific historical context, it foreshadowed deeper truths about spiritual purity. In the New Testament, God would later broaden our understanding of clean versus unclean through visions given to the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:9-16), and Jesus Himself taught that real defilement comes from one’s heart rather than one’s food choices (Mark 7:20-23). These commands in Leviticus, given roughly 3,500 years ago near the Sinai region, remind the faithful today that while external symbols and rituals have their place, walking in devotion to God from the heart is what fulfills the deeper call to holiness.